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﻿Learn all the official PGA golf rules

PGA golf rules are the rules that golf professionals follow for official golf tournaments. You may have to follow the traditional PGA golf rules for a tournament at your own golf course. Or if you are a very competitive golfer, you may want to get your group of golfing buddies to start playing by PGA golf rules. Also, if you enjoy watching golf on TV, learning PGA golf rules will allow you to fully understand what is happening and get more enjoyment when watching. Most amateur golfers will not strictly play by PGA golf rules, but they are helpful to know. Many players attest that playing by the rules makes the game more enjoyable.

PGA golf rules can become complicated, and the full rules comprise of an entire booklet. Following are a few of the fundamental PGA golf rules that you may most commonly encounter:

• If you think your tee shot has been hit out of bounds or will be unfindable, you should hit a second tee shot, which is called a provisional ball. If you can't play your first ball, this provisional ball becomes the ball that is in play. The provisional ball rule applies to shots from the fairway also.
• Always play your ball as it lies. This means to never touch your ball while it is in play, unless you have marked the ball on the putting green, or you are removing your ball from an unplayable lie and taking a stroke penalty.
• If you are searching for a lost ball, do not take more than five minutes looking for it. Holding up the round of golf for more than five minutes is considered undue delay, and you can be penalized. Always play a provisional ball if you think it is possible that your ball has become lost.
• You can only remove soil or loose impediments from your ball when you are on the putting green. In all other situations, you must play the ball as it lies.
• If your ball has come to rest against a natural object and removing this object will cause your ball to move, you must play the ball as it lies. If it is unplayable, you can pick up the ball and take a drop, at a maximum of two club lengths away from where it was lying originally, and no closer to the hole.
• If your ball has come to rest against a man-made object in a sand bunker, such as a piece of trash, it is permissible to remove this object, even if it causes your golf ball to move.

Christine Gray is a recognized authority on the subject of golf rules. Her website Ultimate Golf Guide provides a wealth of informative articles and resources on everything you will need to know about basi rules of golf. All rights reserved. Articles may be reprinted as long as the content and links remains intact and unchanged.